[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 85 (Wednesday, June 29, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: June 29, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                              NEA FUNDING

  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, over the past few years funding for the 
National Endowment for the Arts has come under fire. The controversy 
usually begins over NEA funds used to support an artist's work that 
some people find offensive. I do not argue this point. In fact, some of 
the artists' works I have seen greatly offended me as they have some of 
my fellow Vermonters.
  But to put this in perspective, these controversial grants are just a 
tiny fraction, .0001 percent, of the over 100,000 grants the NEA has 
awarded.
  We should not forget all of the good that the NEA does--the great 
majority of NEA grants have created community celebrations, economic 
development, better schools, programs for the elderly, and has 
preserved our national heritage.
  I am extremely concerned about the 5 percent cut to the NEA budget in 
the Interior Appropriations bill which passed the committee yesterday. 
I hope that prior to the time it comes on the floor and certainly prior 
to the time it goes to conference we might find a way to bring about a 
result that I think more carefully protects the interests of the 
American people.
  Last year, the NEA budget was cut across-the-board by 2\1/2\ percent. 
This year, the Senate committee has targeted cuts to programs that are 
perceived by some to be the source of controversial grants.
  In my home State of Vermont, the programs that are being targeted for 
cuts are good programs. This year, the Vermont Folklife Center in 
Middlebury received a $280,000 challenge grant.
  The Folklife Center keeps Vermont's heritage alive; circulating 
exhibits to allow the young and old to see the beauty and importance of 
the artistry of their roots such as basketry, quiltmaking, stonework, 
slate and granite carving, the latter of interest to me because both my 
grandfathers were stonecutters in Vermont.
  The Presenting and Commissioning Program awarded grants to arts 
centers around Vermont, including the Cross Roads Arts Council in 
Rutland and the Catamount Film and Arts Co. in St. Johnsbury, each of 
which received $5,000.
  This may not seem like much when we debate billion dollar budgets in 
Congress, but to these programs these dollars mean the difference 
between being able to bring performers into their communities or not.
  The Catamount Film and Arts Co., situated in one of Vermont's most 
rural areas, has brought the Vermont Composers Festival and the 
Festival of Japan to its community.
  Just last weekend, the Cross Roads Arts Council, held its third 
annual Rutland Region Ethnic Festival, a celebration of different 
heritages and cultures in their community. The festival was a great 
success, with more than 5,000 attendees enjoying entertainment and a 
variety of foods from around the world.
  The NEA funds improve these organizations' ability to bring quality 
artists into the region for extended periods. This is important to give 
artists the time to go into schools, visit senior centers and work with 
at-risk youth.
  These programs enrich the lives of Vermonters and visitors, 
connecting us to different ideas and cultures. Arts are effective 
economic development tools, and can draw people to communities as an 
attractive place to live, do business and visit.
  The NEA programs support quality arts events across the country. If 
these cuts go through, it would make it very difficult for programs in 
my small State of Vermont to continue to compete for these funds.
  The most recent NEA grant that has received some notoriety of late 
was a performance at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, a very 
prestigious regional center.
  The performance in question is one of more than 100 events produced 
by the Walker this year. And, incidentally, with the tremendous debate 
and maybe thousands of dollars' worth of debate time that we spend on 
it, we should note that only $150 of Federal funds were used. 
Incidentally, this was approved in 1992 by the previous acting chairman 
of the NEA, not in this administration at all.
  Mr. President, we should not be judging next year's NEA budget on a 
decision that was made in 1992, under a different chairman. We now have 
a Chairman, Jane Alexander, who is doing a terrific job. She is working 
to reach the NEA's goal of bringing ``the best art to the most 
people''.
  Last year, Ms. Alexander was overwhelmingly approved by this body. 
Since then she has been traveling across America, talking to people and 
seeing the kind of art that is happening in big and small communities. 
She is working to ensure that the National Endowment for the Arts 
continues reaching out to educate and fascinate people of all ages 
through the arts.
  She knows what Americans want. She is an artist of great renown 
herself. She is backed up by people with great backgrounds, very 
respected backgrounds, in the arts. And I would note on a personal 
level, in that regard, Ellen McCulloch Lovell, who is the director of 
the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities, someone with a 
great background in the arts, both in this city and in Vermont.
  So I hope Ms. Alexander would be allowed to do her job and the NEA 
allowed to continue its good work.

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